Antelope Euro Mount Stinks

Torq

Member
Messages
55
Hey everyone, I shot an antelope last year and took it to a guy to do a euro mount on it. He took the horns off and cleaned them out then glued them back on. When I got it back the mount smelt fine, but after a bit I noticed a definite smell of death on it. I pulled the horns off and sure enough one of them reeks. I have kept it out in my garage all winter because the wife wasn't about to let that stinky thing in the house.

At this point I am just wondering what the best way to clean this horn out would be. Does anybody know how to clean these out so that it doesn't reek of rotting flesh?
 
I'm amazed you could pull the horns off? I always boil my skulls in water, dawn liquid, and borax. Then soak the skull in liquid or paste hydrogen peroxide paste. I rip all the nasal septums out because its impossible to get all the stinky stuff out of the septum by just boiling.

Once I've washed and rinsed several coats of hydrogen peroxide I bondo the horns onto the skull pedestals. Bondo not only keeps bugs and smell away but also prevents the bases of the horn from shrinking (important if you have your buck officially B&C scored).
 
Sounds like the “taxidermist” made a mistake and left some tissue up in the horn sheath. I’ve done probably 30 deer and antelope and never had the problem you describe. If the problem is up in the sheath then the suggestions offered so far will not solve the problem.

There’s no need for sawing off the cores or bondoing anything - that won’t help - or removing nasal bones. I’ve never done that either. No need

You might try filling the stinky sheath with dawn and hot water to rehydrate the residue and then try to remove anything that may be in there with a wire. You might try baking soda to tame the odor. Then let it dry in the sun for a few days.

Antelope are super easy - I’d do it myself next time!
 
If you are doing anything to the sheath I would add borax to the dawn and then hydrogen peroxide. One thing that worked on a super stinky dall sheep cape was spraying scent killer on it. If nothing else works possibly try a few coats of scent killer.
 
It's usually the inside of the horns that stinks. If there is obvious crud inside the horn sheath, scrap it out and take a stout wire and get way up in there, wash with soapy water. Once you are satisfied they're clean, dump borax in them and let em sit a few weeks. After a while they stop smelling.
 
Rub that horn all over you. Then go pick up your wife like a cave women and go make caveman love with her.

No need to say thanks!
 
Thanks all for the help. I have done my own Euros in the past, but never with an antelope. I had heard there was tissue up in the sheath that needed to be removed so I thought I would let someone who knew what they were doing take care of it for me. I'll try to get it cleaned out with some soap and water and a wire then dump some baking soda or borax in to kill the odor.
 
Their should be no tissue up in the horn, I've done my share of Pronghorn and not once have I had tissue or cartridge stay in the horn. It always stays on the bone then you boil the skull and is just falls off.
 

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